Currently, the common way to enter text messages using a conventional cellular phone keypad is through the multi-tap method. The multi-tap method is a way of using the conventional keypad of a telephone to write text (for address book and/or messages--Global System for Mobile Communications). The multi-tap method requires the user to press the TWO through NINE keys for writing letters, the ONE and ZERO keys for symbols and punctuation, and the ASTERISK and POUND keys for moving the cursor to the left and right. For any of the alphabet letters, the user is required to press the TWO through NINE keys to scroll through the letters and number choices associated with that key. For example, when the TWO key is pressed once, the character "a" is displayed. The second press of the same key (the TWO key) displays the character "b", the third press of the same key displays the character "c" and finally the fourth press of the TWO key displays the number "2".
The multi-tap method has proven (based on user feedback and usability studies) to be a very cumbersome method for text entry since it requires too many key presses. Thus, there exists a need to provide a method and apparatus for efficient text entry using a reduced keypad.